If there’s one thing Meghan Fonda has learned as part of her job at PPL Electric Utilities, it’s to be prepared for the unexpected every day.
It’s practically part of her job description.
As an emergency planning supervisor for the Emergency Preparedness department, Fonda is responsible for helping to keep employees prepared for any emergency or storm that may occur in the utility’s 29-county Pennsylvania service area. She also helps prepare her co-workers for a safe and swift response when power outages occur.
“My job is all about making things better for our 1.5 million customers,” said Fonda, who earned a mechanical engineering degree from Florida State University. “It’s all about being able to restore power in a safe and timely manner when our customers experience outages. Each day, I’m making sure we’re prepared.”
Fonda, in her fifth year at PPL Electric, has a wide range of responsibilities, from making sure employees are familiar with their storm response roles and keeping them up to date on training to maintaining procedures and relationships with companies that provide assistance when PPL Electric needs to supplement its workforce to help restore power when severe storms strike. She also keeps in close contact with emergency management organizations.
Fonda is one of hundreds of employees who have an emergency/storm response role in addition to their normal job. We always have a team of employees on call to respond at a moment’s notice when outages occur. That includes engineers, lineworkers, damage assessors, environmental staff and logistical personnel.
When storms and storm damage are imminent, we activate storm teams with additional personnel in the field, control centers and customer service centers across our 29-county service territory. When we activate these storm and emergency response teams, their priority is to assist with our storm restoration work.
We participate in training exercises each month throughout the year to help ensure our employees are well versed in their emergency response roles. That regular training includes drills that help us stay familiar with what we need to do in cases of storm-caused outages, but also other emergencies, such as wildfires.
We also have staff closely monitoring weather forecasts and consulting with meteorologists to ensure we’re well prepared for any storm activity that may cause damage to our power delivery system.
“I really do like the emergency response aspect,” Fonda said. “It’s rewarding to know that the work we’re doing each day is benefitting our customers in some way. And whatever issue comes our way, we’ll be as prepared as we can be to meet it head on.”
For more about how you can prepare for storms, check out this video. And for more about how we respond to power outages, click here.
We’re committed to delivering reliable power no matter what the weather brings – a commitment that is rooted in year-round preparation.
Over the past decade, we have made significant investments to build a stronger, smarter and more resilient grid. From clearing vegetation around power lines and replacing aging equipment to installing state-of-the-art grid technology, we’re dedicated to keeping the lights on for our customers.
While we prepare for winter storm season, we have tips to help you prepare and stay safe as well.
Storm Safety
However, even with the best preparation and information, storms and severe weather can cause damage and result in outages. Adjust alert preferences to receive a phone call, text or email at pplelectric.com/alerts to stay informed during a storm.
If you experience an outage, report it by calling 1-800-DIAL-PPL, by visiting pplelectric.com/outage or texting “Outage” to TXTPPL.
A few other important storm safety tips to remember:
Charge your phones and other devices in advance of a storm so they are fully powered.
Keep generators far from buildings and do not operate them in confined spaces, such as garages.
Stay away from any downed wires and always assume they are live and carry electricity. Report downed wires by calling 1-800-DIAL-PPL.
Winter Energy Savings
Easy, inexpensive tips to help you save energy and money when the temperature declines:
Leave your curtains and blinds open. During the day, capture the sun’s light and heat to gain warmth from the sun. At night, close your curtains and blinds to prevent that free heat from escaping.
Prevent fireplace heat loss. Keep the damper closed when you’re not using your fireplace so warm air doesn’t escape through the chimney. Energy-efficient fireplace grates also help you save by pulling cool air out of your room and into the fireplace while bringing warm air back into the room.
Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans. Yes, fans can also keep you warm. Flip the switch to change the direction of the blades so they spin clockwise and pull warm air downward.
Winterize windows and doors. Inspect all your doors, windows and ductwork for gaps that could leak heat from your home. Many of these cracks and leaks can easily be fixed with caulk and weatherstripping.
Adjust your thermostat. When you’re home and awake, set the heat as low as it feels comfortable. Aim for 68 degrees as an optimal temperature. Wearing warmer clothing or grabbing a blanket can help keep you cozy. While you’re sleeping or out of the house, lower the thermostat by 10 to 15 degrees. Lowering the thermostat for at least eight hours can save up to 10% on your heating bill. A programmable thermostat will make it even easier to save.
The winter can be unpredictable and unforgiving, but our team is always ready to respond. Our grid is strong, reliable and evolving, and our employees are committed to keeping you safe and warm this winter.
Reliability investments like developing these first-of-its-kind resistance drills help us reduce costs and keep the lights on for our 1.5 million customers. These drills help measure decay on both the inside and outside of utility poles to assess their health and identify when poles need to be replaced.
Severe storms brought damaging winds and lightning across our entire 29-county service territory late Wednesday afternoon into the evening. We have seen significant damage from downed trees and limbs that caused nearly 1,300 individual damage locations. Since the storm began more than 145,000 customers experienced a power outage.
Our crews continue to work around the clock as safely and quickly as possible to restore all customers. As of 3 p.m. (6/28), we have restored power to more than 137,500 customers and about 7,600 of our 1.5 million customers remain without power.
We have hundreds of personnel responding to the storm, providing both field-based and back-office emergency response operations across our service territory. This includes lineworkers, foresters, damage assessors and call center staff. In preparation for the storm, we brought in more than 600 workers from outside our company to assist in restoration efforts. Due to the extent of the damage, we have obtained additional crews, increasing that number to nearly 1,000. Due to the extent of the damage, this has been a multi-day restoration effort.
We have assigned estimated restoration times (ERTs) for areas in our territory. Because of the scope of repairs, full restoration could extend through Saturday afternoon for some customers, although many customers will have their power restored sooner. As crews are dispatched to specific jobs within a region, customers may receive an updated ERT.
Safety is a core value for us. Remember, should you encounter a downed wire at any time, assume it’s energized and stay away. Report downed wires to PPL Electric or local emergency response agencies.
While we continue to our work, we encourage our customers to remain connected and stay safe with these tips:
Stay connected
Report power outages online at pplelectric.com or text “Outage” to TXTPPL (898775).
Sign up for alerts to stay connected and receive outage updates at pplelectric.com/alerts.
Check the status of an outage and estimated restoration times online at pplelectric.com/outage.
For information on storm safety, outage restoration priorities and more, visit pplelectric.com/outage
Stay safe:
Remember, should you encounter a downed wire at any time, assume it’s energized and stay away. Report downed wires to PPL Electric or local emergency response agencies.
Never operate a portable generator in an enclosed area, like a garage, where deadly carbon-monoxide fumes could accumulate.
Always use flashlights instead of candles as they can start fires.
Turn off appliances that were on when the power went off.
Create alternate plans if you have a medical condition that relies on electricity or call 9-1-1 for assistance.
Check on elderly family members, neighbors and others who may need assistance during an outage period.
For your safety and ours, please keep a safe distance from our crews.
Ice and Water:
Customers who have been without power for 24 hours or more can purchase ice and water from any local vendor at their expense and send us receipts. Once received, we will credit those costs back to the customer’s account. Each customer can purchase a maximum of three 10-pound bags of ice and three gallons of water per day. Customers should mail their receipts and account number to:
PPL Electric Utilities
Attention: Ice and Water
827 Hausman Road
Allentown, Pennsylvania 18104
PPL Electric Utilities crews are working to make repairs for customers who are without power due to the storms that occurred Saturday.
As of 9:00 a.m. Sunday (6/23), approximately 6,400 of our 1.5 million customers were without power.
Since the storms began Saturday (6/22), we have restored power to more than 33,000 customers.
Current predictions for pop-up storms Sunday may result in additional outages. Remember, if you encounter a downed wire at any time, assume it’s energized, stay away and report it immediately.
If you lose power, report the outage online at pplelectric.com or text “Outage” to TXTPPL (898775).
Staying cool in the heat:
We understand it’s never easy to be without power, especially during times of high heat. We urge our customers to stay safe in extreme heat situations. Seek out cool places — shopping malls, libraries or public cooling centers — to avoid the heat. Also, drink plenty of fluids, stay informed, and check on elderly family members or neighbors.
Stay safe:
Please stay safe and keep the following safety tips in mind:
If you encounter a downed wire at any time, assume it’s energized and stay away.
Candles can start fires. If you lose power, use flashlights instead.
If you lose power and are using a portable generator, never operate the generator in an enclosed area, like a garage, where deadly carbon monoxide fumes could accumulate.
We encourage customers who have medical conditions requiring electricity to make arrangements in case of an outage.
If you lose power, turn off any appliances that were on when the power went off.
For your safety and ours, please keep a safe distance from our crews.
Power outage? Text “outage” to “TXTPPL” (898775) or report it here.
Update: 1.10.24, 4:30 p.m.
As of 3:30 Wednesday afternoon, about 8,750 of our 1.5 million customers were without power. Since Tuesday afternoon, 65,000 customers have been restored from the original 73,750 customers without power.
We have brought in additional crews to supplement our efforts. Our crews began working Tuesday morning and will continue to work around the clock to safely and quickly restore power as soon as possible.
Update: 1.10.24, 10:00 a.m.
Storms caused widespread damage and power outages across our service territory Tuesday afternoon into the early morning on Wednesday. As of approximately 7:30 a.m., about 12,600 of our 1.5 million customers were without power.
Our crews began working Tuesday morning and are continuing to safely restore power to customers who are experiencing outages. We are bringing in additional crews to supplement our efforts.
Because of the scope of repairs, full restoration could take until Thursday for some customers, although many customers will get power restored sooner, as crews work around the clock to repair damage.
Continued wind could result in additional outages through this afternoon. We encourage customers to stay safe and report any outages.
Update: 1.9.24, 11:00 a.m.
An incoming storm is expected to bring heavy rain and winds across our service territory from Tuesday morning into Wednesday afternoon. We’re closely monitoring the forecast and are prepared to respond to storm-related power outages.
Our dedicated team is ready to respond to any issues that may arise, and we are bringing in additional workers to assist in any restoration efforts that may be necessary. We’ll work as safely and quickly as possible to assess damage and restore power to all customers who are impacted.
We’ll be posting updates on this page throughout the storm. You can adjust alert preferences to receive a phone call, text or email at pplelectric.com/alerts to stay informed during a storm. If you experience an outage, report it by visiting pplelectric.com/outage,texting “Outage” to TXTPPL or call 1-800-342-5775.
While we’ve prepared for possible outages, we want you to be prepared too:
Charge your cell phones, portable chargers and other electronic devices so they’re ready to use in case of an emergency.
Prepare or update your emergency kit with food, water, medication and pet supplies.
Remember that candles can start fires. If you lose power, use flashlights instead. Now is a good time to check your flashlight batteries.
If you have a portable generator, test it to make sure it’s working, but never operate it in an enclosed area, like a garage, where carbon monoxide fumes could accumulate.
Assume any downed power line is energized. Stay clear by at least 100 feet and keep kids and pets away. If you see a downed power line, report it immediately by calling 1-800-342-5775 (1-800-DIAL-PPL).
